Tesla Autopilot’s “Elon Mode” has been making the rounds in the media this week, but it is not really called “Elon Mode.”
It is interesting, nonetheless.
You might have seen plenty of media reporting on Tesla having a “secret” Autopilot mode called “Elon Mode.”
They are basing those reports on infamous Tesla hacker Green tweeting about it:
With root access to Tesla’s onboard computer, Green has, at times, been able to unlock features inside vehicles that have yet to launch or are meant for Tesla’s internal testing.
In this case, he has enabled an Autopilot mode that appears to have little to no “nag,” which is what Tesla owners called alerts to apply torque to the steering wheel.
There’s a bit of confusion with the media thinking that Tesla called the mode “Elon Mode,” but that’s a name that Green has come up with, the hacker told Electrek.
Tesla’s name indicates that the mode is meant for testing by executives, but Green believes that it is likely what Elon Musk uses when he is testing the latest AP builds.
It could help explain how the CEO often talks about having Autopilot/FSD Beta drives without driver intervention.
Green says that he has about two hours of footage of him driving with the mode and without ever getting “nag,” though he wasn’t impressed with the efficiency of the driving:
It’s important to note that Green’s Tesla doesn’t have a cabin-facing camera and newer Tesla vehicles with the feature and FSD have a more extensive driver monitoring system that involves tracking driver attention.
Regardless of nag, drivers using Tesla Autopilot or FSD Beta should always pay attention and be ready to take control at all times.
Do you think Tesla’s Autopilot nag is a good safety feature? Let us know in the comment section below.